The Beer Nut: Grafton's Banner brews up low-alcohol beers

Banner Beer Company brewer and owner Todd Charbonneau wants to provide people with beers that are big on flavor, but low on alcohol.

By Norman Miller/DAILY NEWS STAFF

MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

By Norman Miller/DAILY NEWS STAFF

Posted Apr. 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 3, 2013 at 3:16 AM

By Norman Miller/DAILY NEWS STAFF

Posted Apr. 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Apr 3, 2013 at 3:16 AM

GRAFTON

» Social News

High-alcohol beers are fine, but if you want to have more than one or two on a weeknight, it’s probably not a good idea – you have to get up for work in the morning and you don’t want to feel the effects from the night before.

A better idea is to have a low-alcohol beer. You can have three or four without feeling any of the negative effects.

That’s where Banner Beer Company comes in. Brewer and owner Todd Charbonneau said he wants to provide people with beers that are big on flavor, but low on alcohol.

"I definitely see a need for this in the marketplace," said Charbonneau, of Grafton. "I think the average ABV (alcohol by volume) of craft beer is 6 percent. You can sit and have a few of those and you’ll have to pay the price in the morning."

The goal, Charbonneau said, is to target those who still want good beer, but not the after effects so they can get started early the next day – taking a bike ride, going for a jog, chasing after the kids.

Charbonneau has the experience to read the beer market. He worked at the Harpoon Brewery in Boston from 1998 until last September, when he left as the head brewer.

While at Harpoon, Charbonneau got to see brewing from inside the largest production brewery in Massachusetts. Now, Charbonneau is responsible for pretty much every aspect – from brewing to marketing.

"I spent 15 years at Harpoon and it was an amicable departure," he said. "I left and decided to pursue a session beer project. The idea of being my own boss was appealing. It was a big step to start my own project."

For those who don’t know "session beer," is a term used to describe a low-alcohol beer that you can drink many of in one sitting or "session."

Charbonneau brews Banner Beers at Opa Opa in Williamsburg, a town in Hampshire County west of Amherst. The beers are packaged in 22-ounce bombers.

The company’s first beer is Banner American Ale, a 3.4 percent ABV amber ale.

"It’s dry and crisp and wonderful and has an amazing American hop aroma," Charbonneau said.

I had a chance to try a bottle of the American Ale on Friday, and the description is accurate. It smells fabulous, and you get more of a hop kick on the back end than you’d expect from an amber ale. It is remarkably drinkable. I took one sip and noticed a quarter of my glass was empty. I see many more of these in my future.

Banner’s next beer will be the American Rye, a darker mild beer made with Chinook hops. The American Rye should be available in the next four or five weeks.

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"Expect lots of piney-citrusy flavors," he said.

Those are the only year-round beers Charbonneau plans. He said he is trying to develop some ideas for seasonal beers, including a possible Vienna lager for the fall, and maybe a hoppy mild for summer. He said he also wants to barrel-age some beers. The only thing they will have in common is they’ll be under 5 percent ABV.

Charbonneau said he has to change the minds of some beer lovers who think low alcohol means less flavor. He said there is "an educational aspect" to opening up a brewery that specializes in low-alcohol beers.

Banner is not the only low-alcohol beer producer in Massachusetts. Notch Brewing also specializes in low ABV beers.